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China opens 'through train' service to Hong Kong
May 18, 1997
Web posted at: 2:30 p.m. EDT (1830 GMT)BEIJING (CNN) -- The first train ride from China to Hong Kong departed Sunday, linking the British colony to the mainland only weeks before its return to Chinese rule.
The "through train" is expected to take more than 29 hours to reach its destination -- the Kowloon railway station on Hong Kong's Kowloon peninsula. The high-speed link was built over three years at a cost of $4.8 billion.
Last September, China opened direct service between Beijing and Shenzhen near the British colony. Passengers had to walk across the border in a trip that took more than 40 hours. Hong Kong returns to Chinese rule on July 1 after more than 150 years of British rule.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Future restrictions on Hong Kong liberties eased - May 15, 1997
- Mainland Chinese flee to Hong Kong before handover - May 14, 1997
- Hong Kong stages annual Bun Festival - May 10, 1997
- China warns that political protests may not be allowed in Hong Kong - October 23, 1996
- Governor defends Hong Kong democracy in final speech - October 2, 1996
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